


Refusals

by TigStripe



Category: Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Friendship, M/M, One Shot, One-Sided Attraction, Pining, Pre-Canon, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:33:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24257464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TigStripe/pseuds/TigStripe
Summary: Biggs deals with a few mismatched romances a few days before their Reactor 1 mission.
Relationships: Biggs & Wedge (Compilation of FFVII)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	Refusals

“Avalanche!”

_ “Avalanche!” _

The cheer and laughs echoed throughout Seventh Heaven as Sector 7’s protectors toasted to themselves and their cause. It had been a while since they’d celebrated, and knowing the supply depot they’d just hit wouldn’t be discovered for some time left a sweet aftertaste in everyone’s mouths.

Jessie had fallen quickly into talking about the advancements she could put together for the team, talking about expanding the bar to include a subterranean hideout, while Wedge packed away a slice of pizza. Biggs smiled to himself as he watched the two of them go on about what they enjoyed most.

The party didn’t last long - it was late, and Barret needed to make sure Marlene got to bed at a decent hour. Tifa went to tending the bar as the watch trio headed out to go home. As per the usual, denizens of the slums waved their hellos and such as they passed by; everyone was friendly here, to an extent, knowing they were all in this fight to stay healthy together. Whenever Biggs thought about their fight against Shinra, a knot formed in his stomach. He knew that, one of these days, someone wouldn’t come home. It was something they’d prepared themselves for, long ago, but that didn’t make thinking about it any less painful.

The trio arrived at Biggs’ house first. A young woman, probably a few years Biggs’ junior, stood waiting at his front door. She wore a typical slum style, simple clothes with her hair pulled back to keep it out of her face. When she saw them approach, her grin lit up the darkening slum streets.

“Biggs! Wedge! Jessie! Good evening!” She positively beamed at them.

“Hey there, Lyla,” Wedge said, his signature smile matching her own. Biggs and Jessie waved their hellos, as well.

“Biggs, can I, maybe, uh, can I ask you something?” Lyla asked. She twirled her ponytail absently on her shoulder as she bit her lip in anticipation of his answer. “Alone?”

Biggs let out a nervous chuckle. “Uh, sure.” He turned to the others. “Wait for me a minute, yeah?”

While Wedge simply gave him an okay, Jessie’s eyes told him more: she knew what was about to happen, and she couldn’t help but feel sorry for both Lyla and Biggs. She nodded and led Wedge around the corner of the shack of a house.

“What can I do for you?” Biggs asked.

“I, uh,” Lyla stammered, “I was wondering if you’d like to go out sometime. Maybe up to the plate, to one of those restaurants in Sector 8? Catch a play, maybe?”

A hand subconsciously reached up and rubbed the back of Biggs’ neck. “Oh, uh. That’s sweet, Lyla, but I’m not interested.”

“Oh.” Her chin quivered a bit. She was no stranger to the trio, and Biggs figured she’d spent several days, or even weeks, building up the courage to ask him out so directly like this. “Okay. I’m sorry for asking.”

Before Biggs could try to console her or lift her spirits about how kind she was, and how he knew she would find someone, she turned and bolted. He reached after her for about half a second before realizing she’d probably come talk to him again in a few days to apologize. They could talk about it later.

“Oof.” Biggs turned to see Jessie leaning on the corner of his house, her arms crossed in front of her. “That’s rough. You okay?”

He sighed and shook his head, his hands falling helplessly to his sides. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just…”

She tilted her head and gave him a sad smile. “I know.”

Wedge rounded the corner, eyes scanning for Lyla. “Where’d Lyla go?”

“She asked me her question and left.”

“Did she ask you out?” Wedge asked, his voice more than a little defeated. It was a sound that punched Biggs in the gut.

He hesitated, then nodded.

Wedge sighed. “I figured as much.” He lifted his head, grin once again in place. “Well, that’s what you get for being such a dashing hunk of man, right?” The grin dissipated and he put a hand on his stomach. “Not like a chunk of one.”

“Stop that,” Jessie said, slapping Wedge’s hand away from his tummy. “You know you’re cute.”

Wedge didn’t seem too sure, but Biggs moved in and put an arm around his shoulders. “She’s right. You’re adorable.” He booped Wedge on the nose and grinned at him. “Any girl would be lucky to have you.”

Jessie looked from one friend to another, her smile still on the sad side. “Okay, boys, let’s get home and get some rest.”

“You mind if I walk you home?” Biggs asked, hugging Wedge’s shoulders.

“Sure, but who’ll walk you home?” he asked.

Biggs just laughed. “I’m pretty sure I can manage by myself. But I want to come say hi to your kids.”

“Oh, sure!” Wedge’s smile lit up the dark and Biggs felt his stomach do a flip. Jessie smiled in solidarity.

They accompanied Wedge home and said their goodbyes before stopping by Jessie’s place. She and Biggs stood outside her front door in reticence, neither of them sure what to say.

Finally, Jessie broke the silence. “Sorry you have to go through all that.”

“The curse of having good bone structure,” Biggs replied. Neither of them laughed.

“So when are you going to tell him?”

“What?”

“Wedge.”

“Oh.” Biggs cleared his throat. “I don’t know. Probably never.”

She looked up at him with pity in her eyes. “Biggs-”

“Don’t look at me like that. We’ve got much more important things to worry about than who I’ve got a little crush on.”

“A  _ little crush, _ huh?”

Biggs rolled his eyes. “Fine. But my point stands.”

“I think you should tell him.”

“Tell him  _ what, _ Jessie?” Biggs’ voice raised a little, heat rising into his cheeks. “Tell him how every time he smiles at me, I go weak in the knees? Tell him that hearing his stomach grumble sends me into caretaker mode? Tell him I think he’s sexy and adorable, all at the same time?”

There was a slight pause. She knew he wasn’t done.

His voice fell quiet as he averted his eyes. “Tell him that I run over every possibility of him getting hurt in the field? Tell him that I’ve almost quit Avalanche because I couldn’t bear to see him injured or worse?”

Jessie reached up and put a comforting hand on Biggs’ shoulder. “Yes. To all of that. Tell him.”

Biggs shuddered. It was such a scary thought, to reveal your feelings to someone. Lyla had taken some time to build up the courage, but how could Biggs do the same to his best friend? 

A friend he knew wasn’t interested in men.

“Maybe.” Biggs sighed. “Maybe I’ll tell him after the big reactor job. Tifa said she found someone that can help us out, so the time table’s been pushed up. Maybe after that.”

“I can be there for support, you know.”

“Thanks. But if I do tell him, I’m pretty sure I have to do it alone. I don’t think I’d be able to handle any embarrassment with someone else watching.”

Jessie nodded. That seemed to make some sense, at least. “Well, don’t overthink it. I know you do that a lot.”

A sad smile tugged at the corners of Biggs’ mouth. “I’ll try.”

Jessie raised up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “You’ll tell him, and he’ll understand. And you’ll be able to move on. It’ll be good for both of you.”

Biggs wasn’t so sure about that, but he nodded just the same.

“Good night, Biggs.”

“Good night, Jessie.”

As Jessie entered her house, Biggs found himself so very alone in the darkening streets of the Sector 7 slums. He shivered, not sure if he was cold, or just hopeless.

Sure, he’d tell Wedge his feelings. After the reactor job.

There’d be time for them after the reactor job.


End file.
